Elizabeth Grandner works conducting research on the effects of natural disasters on the poorest regions and peoples of the world.
The article discusses how future climate change will have a disproportionate effect on the people of Africa. This continent is expected to be one of the most effected areas in the future, with increased drought and heat waves. The poor populations will have less ability to adapt to the environmental changes.
The extreme drought in the areas will increase the prices of basic foods, putting great strain on the poor of the region to continue to feed themselves.
Prediction of the future climate show sections of Africa having a 2700% increase in the probability of severe drought.
After a drought in 1991 in Zambia, the grain production in the country decreased by 50% showing little hope for stable agricultural production in the region with future climate instability.
"Food is a major expenditure for the poor and…the urban poor would only get the negative effects," Tomas Hertel, Purdue Director of Global Trade Analysis
"Bangladesh, Mexico and Zambia showed the greatest percentage of the population entering poverty in the wake of extreme drought, with an additional 1.4 percent, 1.8 percent and 4.6 percent of their populations being impoverished by future climate extremes, respectively," Hertel
“In 1991 grains productivity in Malawi and Zambia declined by about 50 percent when southern Africa experienced a severe drought”
6. The people living in these developing nations will be forced further into poverty if food prices increase because of climate change. They will have even less income to bring themselves out of poverty with higher food prices. There is a great deal of social injustice in this situation, for these people contributed very little to the causes of climate changes, yet they are seeing the worst of the consequences.
7. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change study, showing that the likely hood of severe weather in Africa will increase significantly in the next century, thereby decreasing the ability to produce food. In a region of severe political and social instability this many be a problem that forced much of the content further into poverty. Such effects are already being seen, after the drought in Zambia, the country lost most of its grain production. This may not have been a truly devastating situation, however only one region of the continent was in drought. The consequences would be much greater if the entire continent were in a similar situation.
Prediction of the future climate show sections of Africa having a 2700% increase in the probability of severe drought.
After a drought in 1991 in Zambia, the grain production in the country decreased by 50% showing little hope for stable agricultural production in the region with future climate instability.
"Bangladesh, Mexico and Zambia showed the greatest percentage of the population entering poverty in the wake of extreme drought, with an additional 1.4 percent, 1.8 percent and 4.6 percent of their populations being impoverished by future climate extremes, respectively," Hertel
“In 1991 grains productivity in Malawi and Zambia declined by about 50 percent when southern Africa experienced a severe drought”
6. The people living in these developing nations will be forced further into poverty if food prices increase because of climate change. They will have even less income to bring themselves out of poverty with higher food prices. There is a great deal of social injustice in this situation, for these people contributed very little to the causes of climate changes, yet they are seeing the worst of the consequences.
7. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change study, showing that the likely hood of severe weather in Africa will increase significantly in the next century, thereby decreasing the ability to produce food. In a region of severe political and social instability this many be a problem that forced much of the content further into poverty. Such effects are already being seen, after the drought in Zambia, the country lost most of its grain production. This may not have been a truly devastating situation, however only one region of the continent was in drought. The consequences would be much greater if the entire continent were in a similar situation.